Cookie Season!

I am SO proud of this kid.  Maya started this girl scout cookie adventure last year very shy and hesitant to sell to people she didn't know.  She relied on the other girls at the booth to bring in the customers.  

This year, however, she has completely changed.  Her self-confidence has grown by leaps and bounds!  She was assigned to a couple sales by herself and I was a bit worried about how she would handle it.  My worry was for nothing as she was right out there asking everyone she saw if they wanted to buy.  Her very last sale she managed to sell 90 boxes... all on her own!!

Sun River

The Knowles headed down to Sun River during mid-winter break again, a tradition that the girls have really started to look forward to.  This year we headed down bright and early Saturday morning (like 4:00 am, early) which actually made for a great trip.  The girls and I slept the first half of the trip which made the 7 hours go by much more quickly than it has in the past.

We stopped for brunch at the Bear Country Cafe right outside Sun River and enjoyed a much needed break from the car.

The first day we were supposed to go skiing but the weather was a little uncooperative.  90 MPH winds along with rain kept us away from the mountain.  I will ski in many different conditions, but 90 MPH winds is way past my limit.  Instead we went out for a valentine's day lunch and attempted some ice skating in Sun River Village. I have no pictures of the ice skating as I was holding on to the edge of the rink for dear life.  The girls are MUCH better skaters than I am... they kept asking me to go around the loop with them and then left me in their dust. Fun for them, not so much for me.

Hot tub time!

We had all sorts of valentine's day crafts and activities.  Cookie decorating being a favorite.

These kids were AMAZING skiers.  They all skied a full two days with barely a complaint.  They led the way down the mountain and took turns being leaders.  We did tend to take up the slope with a train of 4 or 5 kids snaking their way down the hill while practicing their turns :-)  I'm so thrilled for this stage, we spent so much time skiing as a family when I was a kid, and I feel like we have now reached that point with the girls.  The point where it is actually FUN to ski with them!

You would think all that skiing would wear these kids out but nope!  We also spent a lot of time at the park.

Such a fun trip and I can't wait for next year!!

Frog Hopper

Three brave girls enjoying the Frog Hopper at Bennett's birthday party!  Although hesitant at first, they all loved this thing and rode it many times.  I don't think I will be able to forget those giggles and smiles!

Swimmers

These girls continue to take Saturday morning swim lessons and have become quite skilled in the water.  My initial goal for the lessons was for survival skills - you need to swim in order to play in the water.  They have both passed the basic skills and are completely proficient in the water, yet neither wants to stop taking lessons because they love it so much.

Ski Lessons

We signed the girls up for ski lessons again this season and lucky for us the weather was much more cooperative.  We were able to get in the full six lessons and had such great snow!

Laurel, Callie and Clara took their lessons together and had SO much fun.  They gained so many skills this year and went from skiing the easiest green runs to shredding down the steep blues!  They were all turning and stopping independently and loving every minute of it.

Maya took her lessons with Ella and Laney again... I don't have any pictures of the three of them.  They all had back to back lessons which meant I was able to get in a little skiing time with the one that wasn't with the instructor.  

Maya and I at the top of the hill.  She was so fun to ski with this year.  It was the first time I felt like us skiing together was not actually extra work for me.  She is entirely independent and was practicing her parallel skiing by the end of the season. 

When not skiing we all spent time playing in the large amount of snow!

Thank you notes

There are some days that parenting seems extra hard and I start to feel like we are making one wrong decision after another.  That maybe the girls just won't ever get along.  That I'm taking out too many of my frustrations on them.  But, just when I am feeling a little down on myself for my parenting skills, the girls seem to do something that encourages me that despite the challenges, we must be doing something right.

They received some really fun thank you cards from Grandma Jean for Christmas and on their own, asked me to help them write to each other.  Their words, some help with spelling for Laurel, and some help with privacy for coloring and writing.  They handed them to each other, read them, gave each other big hugs and immediately asked for another because they had more to write.

Even when I feel like the bickering can be endless on the hard days, these girls really do love each other.  I continue to pray that they will keep their strong relationship through life and ultimately end up as close as Amy, Jenny and I are.  I couldn't get through life without my sisters and I am so glad that Maya and Laurel have each other as well!

Snuggles

We were lucky enough to have Callie and Liam over for an evening.  Cousin PJ snuggles while watching a movie!  This picture makes me smile because it is very reminiscent of the way Amy, Jenny and I used to watch TV.